Stay
by kissonthechic
Summary: Ichigo and Rukia have no problem convincing others that they're 'just friends,' but when it comes to convincing themselves, that proves to be a bit more difficult.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Thank goodness.  
**Notes: **Who uses Word to write essays anymore? Pfft, 'cause I sure don't- I do this instead :D + this is an AU.  
**Warning**: Strong language, drugs, drinking, sexual content

* * *

**Prologue**_  
_

_He found her sitting on the floor of the alleyway. Both knees were drawn up against her chest, and her small face was buried in the crook of her arm. _

_Ichigo clambered towards her, panting from chasing her down. He balanced himself by placing one hand against the brick wall and leaning over. "God what's_ wrong _with you?" he breathed out in exhaustion. _

_Rukia looked up from where she was situated. "Can you just leave me alone? I didn't ask to be followed," she scowled. Her heart was beating so fast now, she could feel it racking within her ribcage. _

_He shot back an equally menacing look. "Yeah well, what am I supposed to do when my_ best friend_ just storms out like that for no apparent reason?"_

"_You _leave her alone _'cause that's what she wants!" Rukia retorted as she turned away. "Just go away, I don't want to spoil your fun," she mumbled. _

_Ichigo rolled his eyes and crouched down in front of her. He quickly grabbed a hold of her wrists. "What's wrong?" he asked in a firm voice._

_She yanked back her slim hands and glowered at him. "Nothing. I'm fine! Just let it go." _

_He shot back up in a burst of anger. "Look Rukia, you've been acting funny all week so don't give me this '_I'm fine_' bullshit. I know when you're upset, so just tell me already!" _

_Rukia immediately jumped up on her feet as well. She wiped her red-rimmed eyes and shouted back at him. "If you really want to know so badly then _fine_. You're an asshole. Happy now?" _

_Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed. "Really. _That's_ why you left the party in such a pissy mood? What the hell did I-" he paused when he realized that she was crying now. Her entire face had crumpled up and she was madly wiping at her cheeks. Ichigo let out a low growl and scratched the back of his neck in frustration. "Aw c'mon Ruks. You never cry," he spoke in a softer tone. _

_Rukia tried to muffle the sobs with her sleeves. "Don't call me your friend," she managed to choke out in a low voice. "Because I'm not anymore. I _can't._" _

_He scowled at her. "What? Are you serious-" He paused and his eyes then grew wide. "Wait, this is about Christmas isn't it?"_

"_No- God it's not about Christmas-"_

_He clutched at his hair exasperatedly. "It _is_! You're still angry that we had sex that night and-"_

_Rukia was hysterical now. She socked him in the arm as hard as she could. "Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!" she screamed. "Please don't bring that up now," she heaved. "_Please._" Desperation was laced in her tone._

_Ichigo was clenching his fists now. His nails dug deep into the flesh and left red sunken marks on his skin. "Can you stop acting like it never happened? Because it did, and ever since then, there's been this giant fucking _elephant _sitting between us!" he cried out. _

"_What does it matter to you anyway?" she seethed. _

"Of course_ it matters to me God damn it! You think I enjoy how you've been avoiding me?" Ichigo hissed as he leaned in closer to her. "I'm _sorry_ okay? We were both drunk as hell and I guess you smelled really nice or some shit-" _

_Rukia interrupted him. "Stop it. Just stop." She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "That night didn't mean anything to you, did it? I'm just another one of the many girls at your disposal-"_

"You're_ the one who kept insisting that it was a mistake!" Ichigo chided in annoyance. "And what the fuck are you talking about? Even though I want to kill you sometimes, I still care about you a helluva lot."_

_Rukia stared at him for a moment, blinking back tears. She turned around violently. "I can't _believe_ how stupid I was to think that you were actually starting to like me. Then that dumb Christmas party came along and- and God why am I such an _idiot_?" she scolded herself. _

"_Hey-" He tried to grab a hold of her arm but she immediately shrunk back. _

"_No, don't touch me!" she screamed. "The moment we stopped talking regularly, you ran right back into Orihime's arms. You really want to know why I'm upset? It's because I _like _you okay? I don't know why, but I _do_. And you just prance about with a new girl every month- do you _know_ how shitty that makes me feel?!" _

_Ichigo widened his eyes, startled by her outburst. "Why are you telling me this _now_?!" he asked through grit teeth. _

_She let out a humourless laugh. "What difference does it make?" _

"_Rukia…" _

"Fuck you_!" she finally cried out. "It _hurts_ to see you with another girl all the time! I can't deal with your bullshit anymore," Rukia spat as she began to sprint away. _

"_Rukia hold on!" Ichigo hollered as he began to run after her. _

"_Get away from me!" she yelled in a shrill voice while blindly making her way down the street. _

_Suddenly, a loud screeching noise reverberated across the neighbourhood as a car slid to a panicked halt. A low, strangled cry erupted from Ichigo's throat when he spotted mangled limbs on the pavement. _

_In a flurry of motion and colour, sirens started to blare._

- ※-

Ichigo wouldn't keep still as he sat in the waiting room. Five days had passed, and that stubborn Kuchiki girl still refused to open her eyes. The guilt he felt was tearing him apart from the inside out. He was beginning to worry that he was showing symptoms of an insomniac.

Even though he wasn't the one behind the wheels, it was his fault that Rukia sped off like that. He couldn't help but feel responsible, and he'd allow her to hit him as much as she wanted once she woke up.

_Please just let her be okay_.

Ichigo jumped out of his seat when the doctor came strolling out of the room. "What's going on Doc? How's Rukia?!" he asked in a frenzy.

The doctor shot him an irritated look, clearly resentful of Ichigo's lack of manners. "Ms Kuchiki is awake, and she's requesting to see her friends. Try to keep your voice low, she is still sensitive to loud noises."

Ichigo nodded eagerly and followed behind the doctor to a nearby door. They cautiously entered the room with quiet steps. The strong smell of flowers immediately assaulted his nose once he was inside. He let out a violent sneeze as a result, then wiped his noise with the back of his hand. There were baskets of colourful chrysanthemums adorning the windowsill.

He knew that Rukia _hated_ flowers.

The doctor gave a curt nod and told them to press the buzzer if they needed anything. He turned around, and the clack of shoes grew fainter with each step.

Ichigo scrambled towards Rukia's bedside. She was lying on the mattress with her bandaged leg propped up. Although she was always pale, she looked genuinely sick this time with the blood drained from her face. His chest immediately tightened when she began to stir. "Rukia!" he choked out. "How could you be so _stupid _running off onto the road like that?! _Jesus Christ_ I thought you were dead and-"

A sleepy smile broke on her face as she peered up at him with indigo eyes. Inky lashes fluttered against her skin when she finally spoke.

"…Kaien?"

Ichigo felt his heart drop.

* * *

Oh hello there Cliche. We meet again.

Leave a comment? ;D


	2. I

**Notes: **SHE'S ALIVE! (please don't hate me)

The stress of university looming ahead is a serious downer. Thanks for the reviews guys, I love reading every body's thoughts

Also, this story is going to start from the beginning...so you'll have to find out how they got to that point :)

* * *

**I.**

"Cry me a river and drown in it, '_Kurosaki-Kun_'" Rukia said in a sickly sweet tone. She made her voice high and pitchy when enunciating his name. "You lost and now you have to pay the price."

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows and gave the petite girl an annoyed scowl. "Have you been watching those trashy law shows again? And what does _this_-" he pointed at his body, "-have to do with me not being able to finish ten crackers without water?! This is- it's a form of _torture_!"

"You said you could do it and you failed, fool. A dare for every time we lose a bet remember? And you're lucky that I'm nice, or else I would've made you wear that swan leotard that I used for my seventh grade ballet recital."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "And what makes you think that it would fit me," he deadpanned. "You are _literally _half my height and you haven't grown sin- OW!"

Ichigo rubbed the part of his head where Rukia had smacked with her notebook. He shot her a deadly glower. "What the hell was that for?!"

She rolled her eyes and pointed at the door that read _Girls Change Room_. "Just get in there already!" she exclaimed. She tried to keep a straight face, but it took every ounce of her being to stifle the giggles rising in her throat.

Standing in front of her, Ichigo Kurosaki was wearing a pair of hot pink boxers…and nothing else. Penned on his chest with black marker were the words "GOT YOUR TICKETS YET?" And if one happened to be curious about tickets to where, he was obligated to flex both arms and say, "_Tickets to the gun show, ladies_." Rukia suggested winking as well, but Ichigo gave a very specific alternative of how he would rather be "skinned alive by the jaws of a shark, thrown into a vat of lemon juice, then picked apart by a flock of blood-thirsty eagles."

So she let it slide. _This time_.

Ichigo was mortified when she told him about the dare she had concocted, but she refused to give him an ounce of mercy. Last time _she _lost a bet, he made her prance around the mall in a degrading bikini, asking people for directions to the non-existent 'swimming pool.' And what was he doing while security was hauling her off to mall prison?

Laughing.

That's right. _Guffawing _in the background while munching on a bag of fries. She remembered hoping that he would choke on those fries.

Grumbling, Ichigo reluctantly shuffled towards the door. Mindless chatter could be heard from inside the room. Topics concerning the benefits of lip-gloss over lipstick were discussed.

"Any day now Carrot Top," Rukia said impatiently as she purposely used her hip to bump Ichigo through the entrance. She laughed when he stumbled inside, scrambling to regain his balance. A chorus of screams rang in her ears and Ichigo immediately came sprinting out of the room, holding his neon boxers as he ran. The sight of girls chasing him down was almost comical, but she only felt a smidgen of guilt. Instead of helping her best friend, Rukia whipped out her phone and snapped a picture of the scene.

Who knew when she might need a favour from him?

Rukia waited five more minutes until she finally decided it was time for her to come to his rescue. She exited the gymnasium and walked down the central hall of their high school, peering around for glimpses of orange and pink. Her face lit up when she finally spotted Ichigo standing by the cafeteria…

…with Principal Yamamoto by his side.

She swallowed hard, contemplating whether she should sneak away or not. Every woman for herself right? But it was too late when Ichigo turned his head, shooting looks of desperation her way. She let out a dramatic sigh and began to walk towards them.

"…dare you step on school premises in such lewd attire? School is not a place for _games, _Kurosaki Ichigo," the principal scolded angrily.

Rukia put her hand up to speak. "Excuse me Principal Yamamoto, I know it seems like Ichigo here is perhaps pulling an obscene prank of some sort, but we are actually filming footage for a project. Ichigo is playing a-" she glanced at him, racking her brain for a plausible role, "- a lifeguard."

The principal raised an eyebrow at her. "Ms. Kuchiki, students are required to be fully clothed at all times on school grounds, and I expect everyone, _especially _Kurosaki, to comply-" he turned to face Kurosaki, "-and what is this- this ticket business? You know that selling on school property is strictly prohibited! What exactly are you promoting?"

Rukia smirked at Ichigo. "Go on, you can tell him."

He gawked at her and gave a look that said _no-freaking-way_.

But all she had to do was mouth, "_Mall prison_," at him.

Ichigo (very) reluctantly looked at the principal before he slowly raised his arms. He glanced at Rukia one last time before flexing his biceps. "Tickets to the gun show?" he stammered. His face glowed crimson.

Principal Yamamoto did not seem the slightest bit amused by his nervous smile.

"MY OFFICE. THE BOTH OF YOU. _NOW_!" he roared.

- ※-

Ichigo was sitting on the girls' washroom counter when Rukia came back with a heap of clothing in her arms. She dumped the pile in his lap and wiped her hands on her skirt. "These will have to suffice," she said to him.

He began to pick through the clothes, scrunching his face as he lifted each article: a cheetah print shirt that read _GOOD GURL GONE BAD_, fleece gray sweatpants (that were a little on the short side), and a pair of rainbow socks with frolicking fairies stitched in the fabric.

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "There was _nothing _else," Ichigo deadpanned, glancing at her.

"Nope. Take it or leave it." She blinked innocently.

"Bullshit," he grumbled, but made no effort to go out of his way and scavenge for more clothes in the school's vicinity. Ichigo clutched the pieces in his arms and unwillingly trudged into one of the stalls.

Rukia entered one as well, and carefully placed the toilet seat down to sit on. She pulled out the toothbrush she was given and began to rub at the stubborn marker stains. "Hey look, you're number two on 'The Hottest Boys in Karakura High' list," she informed him from her stall.

"Huh? That stuff is so stupid," she heard him say. A pause. "Wait- so who's number one?"

Rukia laughed. "Is second place not good enough for you?"

Ichigo scoffed loudly at this. "I'm just curious. Jeez."

Rukia could practically hear that his eyes were rolling by the tone of his voice. "If you really wanna know, Toshiro Hitsugaya is apparently the hottest boy in our school," she answered bluntly. "Go figure, huh?"

A sound of something dropping to the floor echoed in the room. "_Him_?! That guy is like what, ten years old?"

"Try sixteen. He must've skipped a grade," Rukia pointed out. "And don't sound so condescending at least he's actually mature…unlike _some_ people I know."

More grunts of irritation were heard from Ichigo's stall. "Hey, just what are you imply-"

Ichigo stopped mid-sentence when the washroom door suddenly swung open. Dainty footsteps clicked against the solid tiles, edging towards the stalls. Rukia left hers to see who it was, only to find Orihime Inoue standing with a hand over her chest in surprise.

"Orihime!" she exclaimed loudly. "What are you still doing here?"

"Oh I was just cleaning up after the cooking club..." The tangerine-haired girl eyed Rukia's toothbrush curiously. "Are you brushing your teeth?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Rukia gripped the handle of the brush harder and forced a smile on her face. It was just her luck that the_ sweetheart_ of Karakura High would find her in the midst of scrubbing bathroom stalls as a form of punishment. But she didn't get the chance to explain herself when a sudden _thunk _was heard the Ichigo's stall.

"Ow!" he cried out in pain. "I can't fit my head through this damn hole!" He immediately came stumbling out in staggered steps, both hands yanking at the shirt.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime rushed over to steady him, but seemed unsettled by the way his entire torso was exposed. Tufts of orange finally emerged from the top and he was able to pull his head through.

Ichigo breathed in deeply as he smoothed out the wrinkles in the shirt. "Holy shit I thought I was going to _suffocate_ in this thing! Not everyone can fit into baby clothes like you-" He stopped talking when he took note Orihime's presence.

A deep red was staining the girl's cheeks, and the way she inched back confirmed her discomfort. "I'm sorry if I was interrupting something!" she stammered uneasily. "I'll just use the other washroom down the hall…"

Rukia urged Orihime to stay. "No no, we're actually leaving now so you can have this washroom all to yourself!" she chirped as she began pushing a reluctant Ichigo out through the exit. "See you later!"

When they were finally outside, the door slammed behind the two friends, causing both of them to flinch. It only took a millisecond for Rukia's cheerful disposition to revert back into the embodimentof fury. Her head swiveled around to face Ichigo. "Thanks to you, she thought we were fooling around in there!" she huffed angrily.

Ichigo frowned at her aggravated reaction. "So what? It's not like we _were_, so screw what anyone else thinks." He stopped and pointedly scanned Rukia's figure up and down. "And _come on_, as if I would actually-"

She kicked his shin before he could finish his sentence. "Put a sock in it, Kurosaki. Let's just find another washroom to clean."

Ichigo didn't budge when she tried to pull him by the elbow. He shook free from her grip and shot her an impatient look. "Seriously? That old man isn't going to check every bathroom stall to see if we did our job. Let's ditch this place- staying in this hell chamber longer than I have to is against my moral code," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Plus I want to get out of these fucking clothes. They _itch_."

Rukia took one last glance down the hallway before tossing the dirty toothbrush in the garbage bin. "Fine."

- ※-

As they walked along the river, the autumn sun was beginning descend behind the water. Hues of pink and orange were scattered above them, and it was only now that Rukia was noticing how Ichigo had been steadily trailing behind her the entire route home. She stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face him, leaning over to inspect his brooding features. Ichigo didn't even realize that she had ceased to move and accidentally crashed into her, causing her to lose balance. He quickly gripped both of her shoulders to steady her body. "Hey what's _your _deal?" he asked in a bewildered tone.

Rukia rubbed her head gingerly. "What the hell if your chest made out of? Steel?" she grimaced. When she finally regained her composure, her mouth opened to speak. "And it doesn't take a genius to figure out when something's on your mind. What's up?"

Ichigo crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes at this. "Uh huh, and I'm a princess. Stop being such a chick and just tell me already," she scolded. Ichigo shifted his weight on one leg.

"Okay fine. Remember when you walked in on Renji and me fighting at Ikkaku's party yesterday?"

She nodded, trying to recall the events. "Yeah, and you wouldn't say why when we were walking home!"

"Because…" His shoulders tensed immediately. "…it was about you."

Rukia blinked in confusion, not expecting to hear this. She couldn't think of a reason why their argument would have anything to do with her. When she heard them last night, it sounded much worse than their usual squabbling. She wondered if they found out that _she_ was the one who took the pizza slice that Renji had claimed from the beginning…but they wouldn't yell at each other over that- would they? On second thought, it was Ichigo and Renji they were talking about. Given their barbaric nature, they most definitely _would_.

Rukia tilted her head at him, finally ready to listen. "What _about _me?" She readied herself to take the blame for the pizza. Yep. It was all her. Mystery solved.

But Ichigo looked embarrassed now, and his voice was low when he spoke again. "Well, when I finally realized you pinched my wallet that night-"

"Yeah, and you didn't notice for like, half the party!" she began to chortle.

He rolled his eyes for the hundredth time. "Shut your mouth, thief. _Anyway_, I tackled you right? And we were wrestling in Ikkaku's room 'cause you're a stubborn _brat_-"

Rukia cut in again to defend herself. "You're just upset that you couldn't get it back from me," she piped up.

He glared at her. "Whatever. The point is, Renji saw me pin you to the floor, and he thought I was _sexually harassing _you for God's sake. So when you were upstairs with Rangiku and some other girls, he confronted me about it and turned it into this big fucking deal like I _raped _you or something." His hands were balled up into fists now. "Sorry you had to see us like that. All angry and loud."

Rukia could tell that he was agitated all over again by the way his entire body stiffened. She touched his arm lightly as a feeble attempt to ease his muscles. "But I don't understand why Renji would get so worked about something like that. I mean, you and I wrestle all the time- in fact, I still have the bruises to prove it!" she said in a half-joking manner.

Ichigo stared at her with incredulity, but his expression melted into a softer look. He exhaled. "He likes you a lot, you know."

She swallowed hard and scrunched her face up from hearing this. Her skin was beginning to feel hot as she searched for an appropriate response. After a brief pause, she finally settled for, "We're just friends."

A scoff rose from Ichigo's throat. "Well maybe you should let him know. And while you're at it, please remind him that _we_- as in you and I- are not secretly in love with each other and getting ready to elope in Vegas. Holy _crap_, he cannot get that through his thick skull."

Rukia cringed. "You guys are practically brothers. Things will turn out fine and you'll forget that this fight ever happened," she tried to comfort him. "And lighten up! It's a Friday. Do you have any plans?"

"Ikkaku invited me to sneak into a bar and get smashed tonight," Ichigo said dryly. "So in other words, no."

A wide smile stretched across her face. "Great! That means we can have some sober fun! Come on, Carrot Top!" Rukia wrapped her hand around his wrist and dragged him down the trail.

- ※-

Rukia wouldn't let Ichigo untie the scarf around his eyes until they reached the edge of the water.

"How do I know you're not taking me to some obscure place to do away with my body?" he asked while stretching out both arms to feel the empty space in front of him.

"Please, who would put the effort in killing someone as insignificant as _you_? And I'm sacrificing the warmth of my neck for this so just shut up for a second," Rukia huffed as she lead him a few feet further. They finally halted their steps when she let go of his arm. "Okay, you can look now."

Ichigo raised his hands to pull the pink scarf off his head. He rubbed his eyes so that they could adjust to the darkness of the evening. The muffled chirps of the cicadas were clear now, and it didn't take long for him to recognize his surroundings. "This place…"

They were standing by a large pond that was encompassed by tall, knotted trees. Fireflies flittered above the water and among the branches, illuminating the atmosphere with thousands of blinking lights. The moon was full and white, casting a pale glow on Rukia's skin when he turned to face her.

"I've been coming here every day since I rediscovered it. Thought that you might appreciate it too," Rukia said, almost sheepishly.

Instead of responding, he bent over and picked up a stone, polishing it on his pants. In a split second, he flicked his wrist and tossed the rock into the water. It skipped one, two, three times before sinking beneath the glassy surface.

"Impressive," Rukia commented. She leaned down to pick up another flat pebble, inspecting the stone before throwing it in the pond. They watched as it bounced five times across the water.

"Show-off," Ichigo snorted, but a smile tugged on his lips. He casually clasped his hands behind his head and took a look around. "I miss it here."

Rukia nodded. "We played in this place all the time when we were kids…but I'm not sure when we stopped," she said to him as she took several steps around the perimeter of the pond. "You proposed to me here by the way."

His face contorted into a scowl. "I think I would remember if I asked someone to _marry _me."

"We were seven," she laughed while leaning towards him. "It was pretty pathetic actually. Here's a little advice, next time you plan to _propose _to a lady, you better have a ring ready."

Ichigo scratched his neck in embarrassment but kept the irked look on his face. "Wait…I remember now. You _forced _me to do it because you said you wouldn't give me back my ice cream cone unless I did!"

"Excuse me, but I believe that that was _my _ice cream. Anyway, it doesn't matter."

"Did you say yes?" Ichigo finally inquired with a horrified expression.

She tapped her chin with a finger. "Hmm…I think I did, but how about this- instead of _marrying _each other, we should go to prom together if we both don't find a date by that time." Rukia looked up at his face to see his reaction. "Yes?"

"And what makes you think I can't get a girl for prom?" he asked, sounding a little defensive.

She rolled her eyes. "I never said that. It's just in case the situation arises, and besides, I think Orihime has a monster crush on you. Maybe you should ask her out on a date."

Ichigo didn't respond right away. There was a heartbeat of silence that settled between them, and Rukia felt the need to keep her guard up by the way Ichigo moved towards her in languid steps. She held her breath when he didn't remove his gaze. There was a mild look of amusement dancing in his expression, and she could hardly read his thoughts. For a second there, Rukia thought he was going to lean in even closer, but she immediately felt stupid for entertaining such a thought. His tone was dangerous when his lips finally parted.

"Thanks for the advice, but I'll be the one to choose who I ask out or not. Let's get going, I'm freezing my ass out here."

Whatever that was building between them was smothered, and a wash of relief came down on her. "Okay. I'm sleeping at your place tonight!" Rukia chirped as she started to skip ahead.

Ichigo pulled a face and began to chase after her. "Hey- what? No way! You can't freeload at my house anymore!"

She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. "Your dad and sisters love me!"

"_Rukia_!"

* * *

I'm such a sucker for the whole best-friends-turned-lovers shebang. SO HERE'S MY TAKE, YAY!

Also, this is irrelevant, but for all you gamers who have played FFX-2, what do you guys think of it? I finished FFX two years ago but never bothered to pick up the sequel. Just wondering if it's worth playing because I don't know how I feel about summoner Yuna turned pop-star Yuna. THANKS GUYS :D


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